Catalytic reforming heat recovery and product separation



CATALYTIC REFORMNG HEAT RECOVERY AND PRODUCT SEARTION` June 21, 1955 J'. c. l-lMJNA'l-l* Filed Sept. 29, 1952` CATALYTIC REFORMING HEAT RECOVERY PRODUCT SEPARATION f exchanger l and Yline 12...

gi'nlthe neighborhood of about 900 to 1050"."F. From the .loe C. Hannah, Anaheim, Calif., assignor toThe Fluor i Corporation, Ltd., Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Application September 29, 1952, Serial No. 312,088

9 Claims. `(Cl. 196-50) This invention has to do .generally with improvements Y heater the charging stock strearnpassesfV through line 14 toV a; reactor which may be of any suitable'type co'n taining arbody of granularsolidcatalyst ofthe kind com-Y 4 monly, employed for reforming a naphtha stock heated Y Within *the indicatedrange. Y 'As illustrated, Jtheyreactor maybe of the TI CR. type employing catalyst beads as the catalyst, andwithin which thefn'aphtha undergoes Y reformation ata pressure ofabout` 17 5 p. s. i.j-g. TheVv hydrocarbon stream=-1eav`es the reactor through linesl j and 17 and passes lthrough line 18.toV a; quench tower-19,

" into which *the hydrocarbons' enter in .essentially vapor l i phase kand atY *a teniperaturef about v90() to, -1000 `F Y Thefquench'ptower 19`. contains `lup'perand. lower sec-j in the processing of hydrocarbons by catalytic reforming methods, andhas for its general Objectsvtgeconomically recover a large amount ofthe heat presentin the effluent from a catalytic reforming reactor, to accomplish eicient c removal of catalyst nesfrom the reactor eiuent stream, and to minimize the pressure drop in the .recycle gas stream.

The invention is adaptable to refining systems empltiyf ing, generally considered,.a catalyst-containing reactor to which the charging stock, typically naphtha, is fed after being heated to cracking temperature. reactor, the hydrocarbon stream enters a quenching zone in essentially vapor phase, and the vaporsrthen pass,

' V Leaving the quenchtower at a temperature to 400 YF.,`the vapors flowthrough line y25l andajpartial Afterleaving the; condenser 26`to a separator Z7-fro1n which the gases'and f.

through successive separating or fractionating stages for n the recovery of gaseous and various liquid fractions. This general type of plant imposes the requirements (l) of the removal in the quench zone of catalyst carry-over from the reactor, and (2) of supplying heat vto the liquid ,I

hydrocarbon stream undergoing tion of lower boiling constituents. f Y. Y

One of my majorrpurposes is to employ aV common medium for the removalV of. catalyst from the system fractionation or separabeyond the reactor, and for effecting important heat. y

economies by utilizing heat removed from the high ternperature reactor etlluent, for heating atV later stge'sftlle liquid hydrocarbon stream for and` in the course of its fractionation. In accomplishing these purposes, I vutilize in the system an extraneous high boiling and preferably aromatic oil stock (such as the recycle oil'froma catalytic cracking unit) as a heat carrier stock to be maintained in continuous circulation between the quench zone and one or more heat exchangers in the separation andfractionation stages. A major portion of this circulated stock serves as a quenching mediutnfor the heat reactor eluent vapors and as a medium for transferring the heat so acquired, to the subsequent liquid hydrocarbon heat' ing stages. A smaller and side stream portion of theY circulated stock isicontacted separately with the reactor eflluent, as a scrubbing Inediumfor entrainment and removal of catalyst lines from the system.` By using only a minor portion, say under of the circulated stock as the scrubbing medium, the remainder of the stock is Y left available for recovery of the bulk of the sensiblek heat content of the'vapors.V Using as the circulation stock the proper quantity of an oil having a boiling range beyond the boiling range of the reactor etlluent constituent, little vaporization of the oil and little condensation of the reactor eiiiuent vapors occur in the zone. Y

All the various features and objects of the invention as well as the details of a typical system for carrying out its methods will be understood more Afully from the following descn'ption of the accompanying ow sheet embodiment. Y

The charging stock may consist of a naphtha fraction within the boiling range ofabout- 100 to .4509',F., introquench duced to the system through line 10 and passed through.

tions'20 andzl, the formerk of which may containsa' series of'trays 22 above fthe chimneyjor drawoif trayz23.. The Vlower sectionf21Y may containjany suitablev arrangement of-'baifles 274 for effecting intimate contact between thef Vvapors rising Vthrough thetower from line` 18,1V and.Y the boiling ^cycle stock later l described .portion of 'Y the .higher being circulated to the quench tower. Y l

vapors are takenthrough line 28tof5a centrifugal'1com-' pressor29 which charges the-gas back to the'reactor 15 Y through the. diagrammatically indicated refrigeration Ydr y;YV ing systemll, lineY 31, heater v32 and'line53`3Y leading from` the heater to the reactor'. A portion of the 'gas andyapor stream in line 28 absorption system.

LiquidlrecoveredL in- Vthe'base of 'the ,separator 27 is takenby pump 35 and'isf chargedrbyg'line `36jy through exchanger 3710 a stabilizerV column38 for ,the removal throughrline 39 of li'ghbjends, the vaporlstreampassing throughfa partial condenser 40for removal through line 41-,` asto a refinery 'absorption Asystermr jrA portion of the condensate (predominantly "CaeC4 fractions) c'oll'ecting Vin. accumulatorV 42 isY returned through line`41.asrretlultV v Y to the stabilizer, withV the 'remainder goingtostorage `or w Y other disposal 'through line 44. The stabilizer;bottoms'nY pass .through `liner45 through a conventional'reboiler 46 'and thence'throughY line'V 47 to` the light '.reformate fractionating column 48.-Y At this point it may be mentioned that thestabilizer 38 as .Well as the subsequent fractiona't-Y ing` columns, all may be regarded "as fractionating stages in the system.v

VFrom the fractionating'.column48y the vapors pass. through line 49-and condenser 50' for recovery in accu-Y mulator 51,`from ,whichV` a portion vof the condensateV re. turnsfvthrough line 52 tovfthe'column asfreflux, with the j balance beingtaken through .line53 as alight refor'rnafe distillatehaving for fexarnple 'an endpoint of [around 300F. Y' f c Fromcolumn 48 the bottoms` are'withdrawn from line." T54, reboiler'SSand line v56 to the heavy reformate frac .Y tionating column 57fromwhich the overheadcondensvate recovered in accumulator 58 is recovered through'line 59 as a'heav'yreformaterefraction-having an endpoint of for example inthe 400` to 450 rangefThebottoms from column 57.are removed through'line 60, reboiler 61 and 1 line .62to-.storage as a relatively "heavy polymer.

`The inventionY is morer primarily concerned with lthe utilization ina lcatalytic `reforming system1haying-the general characteristics described, of a relatively Yhigh boiling oil derived from an extraneous source,to serve the` 'y dual functions of'catalyst fines separation from the reactor effluent, and utilization ofimportant vquantitiesvofV heatv Y Vin'thereactor efuent for the .purposesof the subsequent fractionating stages. Inaccordance'with'the invention,

2,711,385 l c i Patented .lune l 11 955` to an appropriate heater 11i i Y wherein ,the charging stock is` heatedl to a temperature Y ay .bejtaken throughline 34 to. an

afnnass a relatively high boiling oil, such as an aromatic stock falling typically within the 500 to 1000U F. boiling range, is introduced to the system through line 63 to be taken by pump 64 and discharged through line 65 at a temperature of say 300 to 400 F. to the quench tower 19. A minor portion of the cycle stock stream, say under about 20%, is discharged through line 66 into the lower section 21 of the quench tower to be intimately admixed with the rising vapors so that the oil in eect acts as a scrubbing medium to entrain and remove the catalyst nes carried over from the reactor. The resulting slurry is withdrawn through line 67 and cooler 6h for disposal. A second and major portion of the cycle stock ilows through line 69 into the upper section 20 of the quench tower for passage downwardly through the trays 22 in direct heat transferring relation with the reactor effluent vapors. The heated cycle stock is withdrawn from section 20 through line 70 at a temperature within about the 600 to 800 F. range for passage through line 71 as the heating medium in exchanger 37, and through lines 72, 73 and 74 as the heating medium for the reboilers 46, 55 and 61. Lines 71 to 74 connect with a common return line 75 through which the stock may be recirculated through a steam generator 76, if desired, and thence through exchanger 11 back to the pump 64.

i claim:

1. The method that includes heating a stream of relatively low boiling hydrocarbons and passing the stream through a reactor zone containing a solid particle catalyst, introducing the hydrocarbons and entrained catalyst particles from the reactor zone into and upwardly within a vertically extended quench zone, passing the vapors from the quench zone through a fractionating zone from which vapors and unvaporized hydrocarbons are separately removed, continuously circulating a stream of high boiling cycle stock hydrocarbons derived from an extraneous source through said quench zone in intimate contact with thc vapors therein and thence through a heat exchange Zone in indirect heat transfer relation with unvaporized hydrocarbons from said fractionating zone, and removing from said quench zone a side stream of the cycle stock carrying catalyst particles separated from the vapors.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, in which said low boiling hydrocarbons are a naphtha stock having a boiling range within about 100 to 450 F. and said cycle stock is of essentially aromatic composition having a boiling range within about 500 to 1000" F.

3. The method as dened in claim 1, in which the quench zone includes upper and lower sections through the upper of which one portion of the cycle stock is circulated, another portion ofthe cycle stock being passed through the lower section to entrain and remove the catalyst.

4. The method that includes, heating a stream of relatively low boiling hydrocarbons and passing the stream through a reactor zone containing a solid particle catalyst,

introducing the hydrocarbons and entrained catalyst par-A ticles from the reactor zone into and upwardly Within a vertically extended quench zone, passing the vapors from the quench Zone through successive fractionating zones from which vapors are removed and between which an stream ot the cycle stock carrying catalyst particles separated from the vapors.

5. The method as defined in claim 4, in which there are employed at least two heat exchange zones between at least three fractionating zones.

6. The method as defined in claim 4, in which said low boiling hydrocarbons are a naphtha stock having a boiling range below the boiling range of the cycle stock.

7. The method as defined in claim 4, in which said low boiling hydrocarbons are a naphtha stock having a boiling range within about 100 to 450 F., and said cycle stock is of essentially aromatic composition having a boiling range within about 500 to 1000 F.

S. The method as defined in claim 4, in which the quench zone includes upper and lower sections through the upper of which one portion of the cycle stock is circulated, another portion of the cycle stock being passed through the lower section to entrain and remove the catalyst. Y i

9. The method as deined in claim l, in which the quench zone includes a rst section through which a minor portion of the cycle stock is passed to entrain and remove the catalyst, and a second section through which a major portion of the cycle stock is passed.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,356,697 Rial Aug. 22, 1944Y 2,357,332 Kelly et al Sept. 5, 1944 2,405,395 Bahlke et al Aug. 6, 1946 2,408,948 Ocon et al.r Oct. 8, 1946 2,439,730

Happel Apr. 13, 1948 

1. THE METHOD THAT INCLUDES HEATING A STREAM, OF RELATIVELY LOW BOILING HYDROCARBONS AND PASSING THE STREAM THROUGH A REACTOR ZONE CONTAINING A SOLID PARTICLE CATALYST, INTRODUCING THE HYDROCARBONS AND ENTRAINED CATALYST PARTICLES FROM THE REACTOR ZONE INTO AND UPWARDLY WITHIN A VERTICALLY EXTENDED QUENCH ZONE, PASSING THE VAPORS FROM THE QUENCH ZONE THROUGH A FRACTIONATING ZONE FROM WHICH VAPORS AND UNVAPORIZED HYDROCARBONS ARE SEPARATELY REMOVED, CONTINUOUSLY CIRCULATING A STREAM OF HIGH BOILING CYCLE STOCK HYDROCARBONS DERIVED FROM AN EXTRANEOUS SOURCE THROUGH SAID QUENCH ZONE IN INTIMATE CONTACT WITH THE VAPORS THEREIN AND THENCE THROUGH A HEAT EXCHANGE ZONE IN INDIRECT HEAT TRANSFER RELATION WITH UNVAPORIZED HYDROCARBONS FROM SAID FRACTIONATING ZONE, AND REMOVING FROM SAID QUENCH ZONE A SIDE STREAM OF THE CYCLE STOCK CARRYING CATALYST PARTICLES SEPARATED FROM THE VAPORS. 